Is This Wise, Charly Suarez?
Charly Suarez has everything lined up for him. How many Pinoy boxers can say that?
He’s ranked as the number one contender in the WBO’s junior lightweight rankings. He’s the mandatory challenger for the world champion in that division. And he has a title match ordered by the WBO.
All Suarez has to do is to hit the gym, stay sharp, and wait patiently as promoters hammer out an official date. That would have been the safe play.
Instead, the “King’s Warrior” will step into the ring this Sunday (Manila time) against California native Manuel Avila. It’s a fight that the Filipino didn’t have to take, but a fight that could cost him dearly if it goes wrong.
Is this wise, Mr. Suarez?
The Win That Could Have Been
To understand why Suarez vs. Avila exists in the first place, we need to revisit the world title fight that gave Charly a chip on his shoulder. I call it “the No Contest Heard ‘Round the World.”
It happened on May 10, 2025. At Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California, Suarez challenged Mexico’s Emanuel Navarrete for the WBO junior lightweight crown. Before the eighth round of this title fight began, a doctor stepped in and ruled that Navarrete would be unable to continue due to a cut below his left eyebrow.
Here’s where controversy ensued. The referee, Edward Collantes, ruled that Navarrete’s cut came from an inadvertent headbutt. Per the Unified Rules of the Association of Boxing Commissions, a fight goes to the scorecards if it gets stopped after four completed rounds due to an accidental foul. (The ruling is a No Decision, on the other hand, if the stoppage happened before four completed rounds.)
As it turned out, Navarrete held a narrow lead on the judges’ scorecards, leading to a successful title defense and the first-ever blemish on Suarez’s professional record. But that’s not where this story ends.
About a month later, the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) overturned the ruling on the match’s outcome. The reason: Footage showed that it was a punch by Suarez, not a headbutt, that led to Navarrete’s cut. Had the referee deemed a legal punch to be the cause of the stoppage, Suarez would have been ruled the winner via TKO.
So, the CSAC took away the loss from Suarez’s record and ruled his bout with Navarrete a No Contest. In light of this decision, the WBO ordered a rematch between Navarrete and Suarez.
Is the Fight With Avila Worth It?
The problem is, that rematch hasn’t happened yet. For a number of reasons.
First, there’s Navarrete’s decision to pursue a unification bout with IBF junior lightweight champion Eduardo “Sugar” Nuñez (a fight that he ended up winning). In addition, there’s the unresolved negotiations between Top Rank’s Bob Arum (who represents Navarrete) and Suarez’s promoter Ricardo Navalta.
With a shot at redemption and championship glory just within reach, why has Suarez agreed to take on another fight? By all accounts, the pride of San Isidro, Davao Del Norte has no interest in a complete lull. Here’s how BoxingScene.com puts it: “Subsequent delays are what convinced Suarez to risk his lofty status against Avila, aiming to stay sharp when his second title opportunity materializes.”
On paper, this tune-up match should be a walk in the park for Suarez. Avila hasn’t fought since 2023, when he stepped away from the ring for personal reasons. He’s been beaten twice in his career, and only nine of his 26 professional wins have come by way of knockout.
But what if Avila finds an opening, closes the distance, and lands the best shot of his life? For this fighter with nothing to lose and everything to gain, a victory this weekend could set the stage for better fortunes in his career moving forward.
For Suarez, it would be the exact opposite.
By rolling the dice when he doesn’t have to, he’s unnecessarily putting his prime position on the line. The lofty perch at the top of the rankings, the championship fight, the chance to decisively defeat Navarrete—Suarez will lose all of it if his gamble ends horribly.
In a matter of days, an incredibly talented Filipino boxer puts it all on the line. With all due respect to Manuel Avila, what happens to Charly Suarez is because of Charly Suarez.
Catch the Charly Suarez vs. Manuel Avila co-main event live on ProBox TV’s YouTube channel this Sunday (Manila time). The main card of this ProBox TV event is scheduled to start at 7:00am.
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